Wraith Realm
Not all who wander are lost It is said by those who Sojourn that every world is but one of many. No land of merit can be truly isolated forever. The Wraith Realm is a bizarre series of pathways and fractured worlds that sojourn across the empty swaths of the universe. Though little is known about the true nature of the Wraith Realm, there are some things that the Godswalk is beginning to reveal: # The Wraith Realm connects worlds to other worlds. Travelers from places such as "The Kingdom of Akron", "Eryndor", and other such realms have somehow used the Wraith Realm to visit Lancerus on unknown errand. # The Wraith Realm is not a permanent means of travel. It is not a portal. There is a time limit for sojourners; anyone that travels the Wraith Realm must finish their business at their destination within a week, lest serious consequences take place. # Entrance into the Wraith Realm is not yet known to most Lancers. What is known is that magic is used, and it is most certainly a practice that would draw the ire of any religious following. # Wraith travel can also be used to cross the same realm, though the same time limit is in place. A Gildorian could use the Realm to visit Arn for a few days before returning. # Time in the Wraith Realm is much slower than in the Mortal Realms. # The Wraith Realm is exceptionally dangerous. Meta The Wraith Realm is, essentially, the spirit world of Ura and all other worlds beyond. It is NOT explicitly the afterlife. Every realm that lives or has lived touches the Wraith Realm in some way. This includes places like Heaven, Hell, Valhalla, Hades, etc. The afterlife "endgames" are all contained within the Wraith Realm, though most of them are "gated communities"; that is to say, you cannot get into one of these places simply by finding them in the Wraith Realm. Likewise, being inside of one does not also guarantee you can exit and find yourself able to travel the Wraith Realm. Different divine realms have different laws. One divine (unholy) realm that seems to be shared across many worlds is Hell, or at least the name. The phrase "go to hell" can be explained by understanding that hell itself is not bound to one world or another. Portals To access the Wraith Realm from Lancerus (and possibly other worlds as well), one must first draw the Wraith Gate, as seen here. It is also known as a Wraith Portal, Wraith Circle or Wraith Rite. 1. Draw the Gate The circle can be drawn with various means: chalk, charcoal, ink, a drawing in the dirt, scratches on a wall, etc. Be advised, however, that should your Gate be perturbed in any way during your travels, you may find it very difficult to return. 2. Pay the Blood Price Once your Gate is drawn, you must then activate the Gate using your own blood. Put one drop into each of the six outer rings. If multiple people are using one gate, than each of them must put a drop of blood into ALL SIX outer circles. No more than six souls may use a Wraith Gate at a time. If there are more than six attempting to cross together, than additional Gates must be made. 3. Place a Beacon (optional, recommended) The upper triangle in the center of the circle where the word "Sinwall" is shown is known as the Beacon. Placing the name of a person or place here will strengthen the Gates ability to make a direct connection to that location. In the Wraith Realm, a beacon may take many shapes. Sometimes they are lingering white, cold flames. Other times they may be a star that only you can see. Some have claimed to even have been guided by ghostly visages of servants of the Wraith Realm. Without placing a beacon, a user must rely on nothing but their resolve, intuition and ability to decipher the cryptic world of the Wraith Realm to find their mark. This is highly dangerous and should only be done under the most dire of circumstances. 4. Light the Flame The last step to entering the Wraith Realm is to light a small flame in the center of the Gate. This can be done using a candle, a small pyre, kindling and fabric, or any other means so long as the integrity of the circle is not compromised (for this reason, do not build a Gate out of flammable material). Once the flame has been lit, the user must pass their soul into the flame itself, which will then materialize within the equivalent area of the Wraith Realm. To transfer one's soul into the flame, it is as simple as thinking of being within the Wraith Realm and then touching the lit flame. The Gate does the rest. Entering and Exiting the Wraith Realm 1. Leaving the Body Behind When one's soul enters beyond the material realm, the body remains behind. The corporeal form of the user immediately enters a deep catatonic sleep, similarly to a magically induced coma. The body will continue to sleep until the soul returns from its voyage. There are many dangers to this. First, the body is completely defenseless while the soul is away on business. Having someone trustworthy to watch over you during this time is crucial. If that is not possible, at least find a secluded place where your body will not be found. Should your body be compromised, you will likely never return to your home again. Even if your body moves away from the original entrance Gate, your soul will have a difficult time locating its home. 2. Making the Sojourn The Wraith Realm is a cruel, lonely place. Shredded remnants of worlds long past drift forlornly on forever, their denizens a mix of sadness, hopelessness, and anger. Spirits of men and those that were 'once' men linger on, ever waiting to ally with (or more likely destroy) passing sojourners. The terrain of the Wraith Realm varies wildly. The remnants of dead worlds are often the pieces that had the greatest significance within them: huge castles, fields known for the battles of the greatest armies, and tombs of mighty souls. Always be wary of what trapped beings are drawn to these places of power. If following a Beacon, do not stray. Getting lost in the Wraith Realm is almost certainly a death sentence. If not following a Beacon, then may Fumna have mercy on your soul. 3. Exiting the Wraith Realm When arriving at the desired location, the journey is still not complete. Before one can leave the Wraith Realm, another Gate must be created on the other side. This can be done in one of three ways: Drawing another Wraith Gate at the exit location from the Mortal Realm This is the simplest method, especially if the Beacon written on this Wraith Gate is the name of the expected guest. No blood price need be paid in this gate, as it has already been paid by the traveler from the other side. When a traveler reaches the location of the Gate, they will see a humble flame that glows a cold blue inside the Wraith Realm. Upon touching it they will exit the Wraith Realm and materialize on the other side. While this method is much safer and more dependable, it does require someone on the other side to create the Gate. As such, this method does have its limitations. Unwanted guests cannot use a Wraith Gate in this fashion. For this reason, this is the preferred method of exit. Erecting a Pyre Gate This method is more dangerous and unpredictable. A large bonfire, fueled by living blood (dead bodies therefore do not count), acts as an open door from the Wraith Realm. Any being inside the Wraith Realm can use this fire to exit the Wraith Realm, if but for a time. The amount of blood put into the fire determines what can exit. Unlike the Wraith Gate strategy, a Pyre Gate requires an additional blood price to keep the gate open. This blood price must match the blood cost of anything attempting to cross the gate. Therefore, beings that have been journeying through the Wraith Realm for a long time (or have been trapped there for ages) will require much greater volumes of blood before they can use a Pyre Gate. When using living blood, any being inside the Wraith Realm can feel this presence; those who have a connection to that living blood, however, feel it strongest. For this reason, Pyre Gates are usually the best method of finding lost sojourners who have become trapped in the Wraith Realm. Someone of close kinship (family, lover, soldier-in-arms) would light a Pyre Gate and the trapped soul would be able to find it. Depending on the length of time passed, however, the blood price may be too steep for one person alone to pay. Either that, or the person you wish to bring back has been gone for so long that they are no longer the same person. Remember, time is much slower in the Wraith Realm. What may have been a few months to you may have been a generation to them. Rend the Veil The final method of exit is the most dangerous of all and requires one to perform deeds they otherwise may not wish to do. The Wraith Realm is home to an infinite number of worlds and souls, all of them a host to latent energies that keep the Wraith Realm alive. One can harness these energies to force an exit from the Wraith Realm at a location of their choosing. To rend the veil, one must kill. The souls of the fallen culminate around the center of their killer, acting as energy. With enough of this energy, one may open the Wraith Realm at the location of their choosing. The number of souls required to rend the veil grows exponentially with the strength of one's own soul. Therefore, a human would require far less souls than a deity of a forgotten world would. Drawing off of the above point, your own power within the Wraith Realm grows the more souls you possess. This also means that the stronger foes you slay, the quicker you will be able to rend the veil. For this reason, KILLING MORE SOULS MEANS YOU WILL BE HUNTED MORE. No one can stay alive in the Wraith Realm forever. When you die in the Wraith Realm, there is no second chance. The Destination More to come!